Senator William H. Nickerson (R-Greenwich) announced that at a Transportation Committee hearing in Hartford today Commissioner Ralph Carpenter of the Department of Transportation significantly reoriented state transportation policy in response to questions from Senator Nickerson.

First, Senator Nickerson asked that the program of refurbishing existing Metro North rail cars, known as the Critical Systems Replacement Program, not be delayed or deferred.  Commissioner Carpenter agreed.  This corrects earlier statements by DOT personnel that a delay was contemplated. 

Second, regarding operations and conditions at individual Metro North railroad stations Nickerson agreed that railroad station conditions may in some cases be a concern, but the policy ought to be:

• Where a station leased to a municipality is well run there is no need to make a change.

• Where there are operating problems the DOT should work closely with municipalities to bring them into compliance with the lease obligations.

• Only where there are serious, repeated and willful failures on the part of a municipality to comply with the lease should the DOT, as a last resort, seek to terminate the lease and establish a state takeover of a railroad station. 

Commissioner Carpenter specifically agreed.  This significantly alters the policy outlook that was reflected at a recent Southwest Regional Planning Association (SWRPA) meeting, where a DOT spokesman communicated that a state takeover of stations would be a first option.